''Our primary issue is going to be student enrollment,'' said LISD board member Mark Griffin. ''We're flat to declining slightly, and we've got to figure out ways to get kids back in this district in terms of retaining them and recruiting them.

''There's nothing we can do about the way the district lines are drawn. Cooper and Frenship and the developments in those areas are taking kids out of the district and into those districts. Our challenge is to make sure we allow them the opportunity to transfer back in or redevelop some areas of Lubbock to enhance our student population.''

By way of example, Griffin points to the mammoth project being undertaken by Lubbock businessman Delbert McDougal in which his company plans to redevelop the North Overton addition.

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''The classic example is what the McDougals are doing in North Overton,'' he said. ''The regeneration of that will certainly assist in that. But I think beyond that, drawing a clear distinction of what the Lubbock Independent School District can offer and making that as attractive as possible and making it as easy as possible to transfer into the district with a minimum of hassle is just as important.

''The district lines are not going to change. We've got to regenerate from the inside out and either redevelop neighborhoods or upgrade particular areas of town that would entice businesses and families to remain in our district.''

The rapidly changing landscape of public education means being even more creative, said Bob Craig, LISD board president.

''You have to be user friendly, and you have to think outside of the box and be creative,'' he said. ''Education is not stagnant. It is a moving, viable situation that you need to constantly work on to improve. We're always looking for better ways to do things, to make learning a positive experience.

''I think one thing that is true, and I have always been an advocate of extra-curricular activities, is extra-curricular activities help students. It doesn't matter if it's sports, band, debate, speech or choir. It's been our experience that those students who participate in extra-curricular activities have a lower dropout rate, and their classroom performance seems to be better.

''Students like to belong. They like to be a part of something.''

Craig said continuing to make those opportunities available is a cornerstone of the LISD's philosophy.

''We try to make sure there are opportunities for kids to participate,'' he said. ''We encourage teams to participate in different activities. For instance, we just honored Honey, Smith and Murphee (elementaries) for their participation in Destination Imagination activities. You like to see things like that, and we encourage that.

''The academic decathlon is another example. The state meet was held here in the spring. Those are things we encourage. We spend money in those areas and will continue to do so.''

Jack Clemmons, the newly hired LISD superintendent, said it is critical that school districts change and try new ways of doing things.

''We always have to try to be on the cutting edge,'' he said. ''We have to think out of the box, and we have to be willing to change the paradigms because we're competing for children's attention.

''And whether we like the fact or not that we have gotten away from the 'Leave It To Beaver' days and factory-modeled classrooms is irrelevant. We don't have time to sit back and lament the good old days. We can't change it by wishing we were back there. We have to always be thinking about the future and how we can reach children.''

Technology may be one of the keys.

''We've got to keep up with the technology,'' said Paul Whitton, superintendent of the Frenship Independent School District. ''That is a very expensive venture. On top of that, education in general is just expensive. We are a tax-supported entity, and I think there are financial concerns about the future. Something has to be done to address those.

''To that, I say, 'Education is expensive, but try ignorance. It's more expensive.' That's the biggest challenge we have.''

Whitton adds that technology brings about its own set of challenges, the most important of which is making sure the staff is up to speed.

''There is the additional problem of staff development,'' he said. ''We have students coming into our schools who have experience in technology. I have to get my staff to where they have the same experience. We're very committed to staff development. I can buy the hardware, but if the staff can't use it, it's not worth much.''

There are other threats as well, Whitton said, such as the growing number of alternatives to public education.

''I think that's one of the big challenges right now,'' he said. ''There's home schooling, charter schools. Home-schooling is a big deal right now. For public education to be viable, we have to do a good job of selling the things it offers.''

A changing student population will necessitate change as well, said Lubbock-Cooper Supt. Pat Henderson.

''In Texas, one of the things is going to be the amount of students coming into the system who are limited English-proficient,'' he said. ''Special education is another area. There are more students coming in with disabilities and special needs. That takes special training on the parts of teachers, and you're going to have to pay these professional comparative amounts because they know they can go into other fields and not deal with discipline and special-education mandates. You have to compensate those professionals.''

Likewise, other money matters will have a dynamic impact on the future of education on the South Plains.

''I think facilities are going to be a big key,'' Henderson said. ''With Texas adding between 70,000 and 80,000 new kids, our infrastructure is outdated, and a lot of us are capped out. Something will have to be addressed. School funding is going to continue to be a challenge, and that includes teacher pay. Finance is always a big thing. It has been for years and years - since the inception of public education.''

Cooper has another challenge as well. Lubbock's south and southwest population shift has sparked rapid growth in the school system.

''Right now I'm in the process of sending out surveys to new housing developments, all of these new developments in the district that have come up in the last three years as the city limits have expanded,'' he said. ''Every time I go somewhere or speak to a group, one of the things they want to know is when we're going to build the new building.

''We're looking closely at the amount of kids. The growth hasn't been as big in kids as it has been in property values. We're trying to find out how many children are in these new homes so we can plan for them. And that's the question right now: Do we build a new wing or a new elementary?''

Henderson said the most often asked question during a recent forum for school board candidates was related to the district's growth.

''We are full,'' Henderson said. ''We added teachers last year. We gained 50 kids at the elementary campus. Up through grade four, once you get 23 kids in a classroom, you're supposed to have a teacher. You can get a waiver for one year, but they don't like granting them. The growth is coming our way. Lubbock is growing south and southwest."

From a teacher's perspective, there are other challenges. Matt Ryan, a chemistry teacher at Coronado for the past 15 years, said the growing size of the state's schools can be a negative.

''Schools in Texas are becoming too big,'' he said. ''There are a lot of kids that get kind of lost in some of these 5A schools. I went to Frenship when it was a lot smaller. Then there were 100 students, and you pretty much knew all of them. They were involved in a lot of things, and you didn't have to be a pro-caliber athlete to play football.

''Now, you see a lot who are not big enough or strong enough to play at that level. In some of the smaller school situations, you can play on the football team, the basketball team or compete in drama even if you're not a very talented actor or athlete. A lot of those kids who are just kind of average are looking for something to do, and sometimes they fall into a difficult peer situation instead of getting involved in a school activity.''

Beyond that, and more importantly, is the impact of declining family values, Ryan said.

''There are those kids who are not getting a strong foundation at home, that love and support they need,'' he said. ''They come to school sometimes with a lot of insecurity, a lot of wondering where they fit in, and maybe they don't have the close relationships that I had as a kid or our grandparents had as kids.

''They are looking for somewhere to fit in, and that's where gangs and these type things spring up. They are replacing the family and the peer groups. I see the peer group taking the place of family, and if the peer group is into vandalism or drugs or destruction of some sort, that's what you'll learn to do.''